winter caching.

[+4thnoel]

I was just wondering if anyone in the colder states go geocaching during the winter. I don't have the money to drive to a sunny state to do it but just curious if anyone wants to tell me about winter caching.

[+stijnhommes]

I cached in the heart of winter last year. My advice would be to make sure you have the proper clothes and shoes and be very selective about the caches you hunt. I missed out on a find because it was covered in at least 10 cm of snow when I visited the first time. The second time I came there, it was an easy find. Also, don't bother with Terrain 5 tree climbing caches during this type of weather. Your own safety should come first.

[+Sharks-N-Beans]

The woods are absolutely beautiful after a snow. Night caching in a snowy woods is one of our favorite activities as you barely need a flashlight. Being the first cacher/hiker in the area after a fresh snow is spectacular. Dress appropriately and have good tread on your boots. I like the older Columbia Buggaboot tread...the new improved tread, not so much.

[+briansnat]

Since it's been said that a picture is worth a thousand words, here are a few thousand words (from my caching gallery). The cache in the first picture I had no expectation of finding. There was 3+ feet of snow on the ground and it was at the summit of a mountain in VT. I was shocked that I found it in about 5 minutes. I love the sound of the clunk of hitting an ammo can when poking around under the snow with my ski pole.

 

Sometimes snow actually makes caching easier, when you get to follow footprints right to the cache. Sometimes it makes it more challenging and you need to rely the same cache sense you do when there is no snow. Surface clues help...and some luck. For instance that mound in the snow near ground zero might indicate a boulder below and of course tucking a cache under a boulder is a common hide method. So start digging until you get to the base of the boulder and look there. That long narrow mound might be a down tree, so find the root end and look there. A ski pole helps, but be careful because you don't want to poke a hole in the lid of a Lock n Lock.

 

Also, in areas that regularly receive a lot of snow, many hiders take that into consideration when hiding their caches, so look for the winter friendly attribute .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 25, 2013 by briansnat

[+BBWolf+3Pigs]

Yep - I cache 12 months a year. I picked up a nice set of snow shoes, and a few of us like to get out with them when there's snow on the ground (not as snowy in RI as other states, but we do get it). I have been hiding "snow friendly" caches when I can (up high, hanging in trees, etc) so people are sure to find them if they go out in the snow.

 

A few of us are also trying to cache & paddle at least once a month throughout the year.

[+The Leprechauns]

I just got back from geocaching after church. I found all three caches in a nice park I hadn't visited in a few years, plus one other on a nearby walking trail. The air temperature was 20 degrees with a wind chill close to zero farenheit. A thin coating of snow covered many possible hiding places.

 

I had a great time! That's because I dressed warmly: canvas pants with flannel lining, flannel shirt, turtleneck, winter coat rated to minus 20, and very warm gloves that are easy to take off when signing a logsheet or tapping on an iPhone screen. (All of those clothes are from LL Bean.) Next, I carried hiking poles, like what you see in BrianSnat's pictures. Helpful at any time of year for poking into possible hiding places, parting thornbushes, etc., poles are especially helpful in winter. You can run a pole -- or just a stick you pick up -- along a fallen log or inside a hollow tree to see if there's a container hiding there.

 

I thought that Sharks-N-Beans' post perfectly captured the magic of night caching during winter. Get a good flashlight and a headlamp, and you've overcome the negative impact of daylight savings time. It's an awesome feeling crunching on fresh snow in moonlight.

[+qq7]

yessss ... I am an italian Alpine cross country skier (and sometimes with snowshoes) ... why don't combine winter sports with geocaching?

Good clothing and boots are essential

[+-CJ-]

Yes, I regularly do.

 

The first issue is to be really accurate when choosing a cache to search for. In the country, the roads may be not driveable at all, so only skiing to the destination point... Many hides are much more difficult to reach in winter... Also, the day ends at about 5-6 pm so need to plan your route carefully... Proper clothing and equipment - all this can be found in shops and read about at special forums. After all, there are caches that are nicer to visit in winter. Sometimes you aren't happy with a muddy path but when it's frozen and covered with snow it becomes an easy one. Some caches are located on isles so while in summer you have to look for a boat or try swimming there, in winter they are easily doable by just walking on ice. (Though of course you need to be very careful and have some experience to understand where to step).

 

Winter geocaching in cities is much like summer caching with the main difference that you have to watch yours steps so not do attract anyone's attention to the hiding place.

 

Sadly, some cachers from abroad who come to our country often forget about the climate and place containers at the ground level. In winter they cannot be reached. There are also some tricks related how to place containers in different hiding places so it is not frozen in ice completely.

[+The_Incredibles_]

Replying from the state of British Columbia...

 

Sure, I go winter caching once a year when I visit my parents...Main thing is to dress for the weather and if you're hiding caches, be sure to hide them above snow level.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC2VCPQ_why-here?guid=383830fc-e28f-457f-96a0-5a02cb76b556

[+BCandMsKitty]

We hardly ever cache in the summer!

Too many bugs, too many poisonous plants, too sweaty and humid. We have a pool we spend our spare time in in the summer.

Spring, Fall, and WINTER!

Also, one of the reasons we cache is for the for exercise. Better exercise when slogging around in heavy boots and snow!

If it's too stormy, we stay home, but there's nothing better, IMO, that a crisp sunny winter day in some woodlot!

Sure, the caches might be harder with snow, but many cachers around here hide their caches with snow in mind, and many times the hides are not on the ground.

Go for it. Make sure you have proper clothing, and then pick your days. You might be pleasantly surprised.

[Mr.Yuck]

Greetings from Buffalo, NY. Yep, winter caching is fun. Had many a snow related DNF over the years, but have found many too. I clicked on your profile, and you say right there where you're from. People who live in climates such as ours are usually pretty good about using the accessible in winter attribute (or whatever it's called). In other words, it usually means the cache is off the ground. Personally, I always grab a "poking stick" in the woods. In addition to being helpful in hearing that thud of an ammo can or lock-n-lock, they make for great digging in the snow tools.

[+4thnoel]

I did not know it was so popular during winter. I loved the pictures. thanks everyone.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

An FTF race during winter, here....

 

 

Winter caching can be the best. No bugs, skeeters, snakes or nettles.

 

Except of course, when it is snowing like this:

 

Edited November 25, 2013 by Gitchee-Gummee

[+Viajero Perdido]

In winter you can also turn high-terrain island caches into drive-bys.

 

Unwittingly, our track log that day turned out looking like a cool cat, which was uncanny since Coolcat21 was in our party.

Edited November 25, 2013 by Viajero Perdido

[+Crow-T-Robot]

Snow can be the greatest camo. Put an ammo can in a snow drift and it can take an hour to find it. If you go out in the winter, just be prepared to work harder for the find. Getting to the cache and finding the cache is usually much more tiring than any other season. Good winter wear, including snowpants, is essential and bring along something to drink...you can get dehydrated in the winter very quickly.

 

Personally, I take some satisfaction in finding a cache in winter that mainly gets found in the summer months but there are also other times when I ask myself why the heck didn't I wait!?!

[+redsox_mark]

Some great photos in this thread!

 

In the south of England where I live, it does get cold (below freezing); but seldom extreme cold. And snow is fairly rare. When it does snow, road travel is very difficult - our cars don't have snow tyres, and many roads do not get treated at all. So I have had very little opportunity to cache in the snow. Unless there are unfound caches I can walk to from home I just can't get there easily.

 

Actually here it is a blessing when it gets consistently below freezing as the mud freezes! Otherwise winter caching tends to be very muddy. And of course the days are short.

 

Edited to add a typical winter caching photo... wet and muddy track..

 

Edited November 25, 2013 by redsox_mark

[+bjohio]

Holy Cow! Looking at some of those pics, you guys are TOUGH! I tend to do more "urban" caching in the wintertime. I can stay warm in the car when driving from cache to cache. I just don't have a lot of patience to dig through a bunch of snow.

[+Oxford Stone]

Haha love the drive-by photos! I think in Scandinavia too, it's the best time to get those lacustrine island caches. My Finnish colleague / caching buddy could only look at snowdrifts and guess where a few caches were, until late April this year.

 

We're just going to visit a few different small towns in coming weekends, have fun doing some multis with numbers from plaques, gravestones etc... and leave the longer walks for the spring and summer. That said, it's currently coldish (about 5ºC) but dry in the UK so the mud is not too horrendous. I'm off now for a newly published "Sidetracked" outside Maidenhead Station, perfect for a winter weekday.

[+BBWolf+3Pigs]

 

That's what kayaks are for!

[+Lieblweb]

I hate the cold weather.... but when there's a geocaching goal in mind, the moood srikes you, and the cache is overall easier in the winter (without the snow) - we've been known to do it.

 

In southern PA, we don't see much snow but it can get cold. If there are harder terrain or bushwhacking involved, we'll tackle them in the winter to avoid ticks & poison ivy.

 

This picture doesn't look like it but...it was 22 degrees out. Took my jacket off so I could reach around in the water for a container. My husband and I took turns in the water.

[+Ringrat]

Oh yes, winter caching is great. Like others have said, plan for the cache and have the clothes and gear that you need. It's always nice when local hiders mark caches as "winter accessible" to help plan a good day. If there aren't many winter caches around your area, it might be a good opportunity to hide some! Almost all of my hides are winter accessible and marked as such!

 

 

[+sasqwatches]

Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night, nor the winds of change, nor a nation challenged, will stay us from the swift completion of our cache search. As others have stated you might have to filter out the harder terrain caches depending on your survival skills.

Edited November 25, 2013 by sasqwatches

[+Time_for_a_break]

Thank you everyone for all the gorgeous pictures! I live in a part of California where snow is rare. Our challenge in winter is just rain.

 

Just fyi, you can buy gloves with metallic threads in the fingertips so that you can continue to use devices with touchscreens without removing your gloves on frigid days.

[sloshoe]

I've found a few in weather thats way below zero.

Remember some ink pens don't preform very well in sub zero temps.

A lead pencil is your friend.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

Snow can be the greatest camo. Put an ammo can in a snow drift and it can take an hour to find it.

 

On the other hand, if you're search for a cache just after someone else found it, there may be a geo-trail that's really easy to follow (just look for the footprints in the snow leading away from ground zero).

 

 

[+MKFmly]

I was just wondering if anyone in the colder states go geocaching during the winter. I don't have the money to drive to a sunny state to do it but just curious if anyone wants to tell me about winter caching.

 

Winter geocaching is common and fun. Often it's just nice to get outside and enjoy the fresh air and the sun. Many locations look even more spectacular with a pristine white coating. As mentioned the daylight time is shorter so night caching in winter is a lot of fun as well. Either a crisp cool clear night with the moon out or a cloudy snug almost comforting light snow.

 

Dress/Drive for the weather, have a good light and if your bushwhacking (at night) clear safety glasses (one too many sticks in the eye).

 

[+frinklabs]

I don't toss the L word around a lot, but I think it would be fair to say I love winter caching.

 

This clapped-out bush car had the coordinates for a multi final that was on an island:

 

 

Getting those pesky terrain 5 island caches is relatively simpler in the wintertime; here's the view on the way to:

 

 

And here's the view on the way back, with my snowshoe tracks visible:

 

 

I got lucky with the hide; it was a camo-taped PVC container, whose top you can see here:

 

 

I did learn that "winter accessible" means something different in Northern Ontario than it does down south. I was 7 for 15 on that trip, but even the DNF's were awesome:

 

 

Sometimes you do a lot of digging and still don't locate the container, but find other interesting things:

 

 

Someone mentioned the danger of poking a hole with the tip of a ski pole -- I was lucky to get a set of snowshoes that included poles with optional rubber tips, like on a crutch, which make a very gratifying thump when you finally locate a buried container (like this one):

 

 

There's also the possibility of non-hibernating wildlife encounters:

 

[+VictoryLanes]

I'm from Canada, and this is my first year during the winter, but so far so good!

 

I'd have to say -30C would be my cutoff though.

 

Really looking forward to just walking to the island caches soon!

 

No bugs! Nothing wrong with that!

 

[+Ambrosia]

Winter caching in Seattle.

 

[+Viajero Perdido]

Caution: wind-packed snow is slippery. I dropped the logbook (in its ziploc), and in a blink it ZIPped right over the edge, out of sight. Getting it back was a wee bit of a chore. Those are my tracks from going after it. Colorful language not shown.

 

How to wear three pairs of socks. It was 40 below (!!!), and we had no choice but to head out - we were in a wilderness cabin and it was time to go home. So, one pair of socks inside the boots, two more outside. Luckily it warmed up quickly once we left the valley bottom, and by the time we hit the cache it was a relatively balmy -15C (0F?).

[+wmpastor]

There's another thread about using machetes while caching. I assume they're less useful in winter. Does anyone use one in winter?

[+JesandTodd]

In winter you can also turn high-terrain island caches into drive-bys.

...

 

Best.tracks.ever!

[+JesandTodd]

 

Personally, I take some satisfaction in finding a cache in winter that mainly gets found in the summer months ...<snip>

 

Yes, I do as well...

 

Here's me at rattlesnake ridge. SHHhhhh, don't tell anybody I'm navigating with my iPhone!!!!

 

 

Why wouldn't you want to cache here? Mt Washington

 

Edited November 26, 2013 by JesandTodd

[+The_Incredibles_]

Winter caching on Vancouver Island, Canada. Gortex required.

 

Edited November 26, 2013 by The_Incredibles_

[+KC2WI]

I never did any night or winter geocaching until last year when I went to the Long Lake (NY) Mid-Winter Geocaching Get-Together. Then I went snowmobile caching and did a night cache by snowshoeing. Now I've resolved that any new cache I hide will be winter accessible if at all possible. I also plan to modify a couple of my existing caches to make them winter accessible, and I'm looking to hide some night caches.

[+SirDonB]

I tend to not cache in the winter, not so much by choice, but because life doesn't let me. On top of that, I am almost never prepared to cache in the winter with proper clothing and gear. I do want to try it if possible this year or soon.

 

I am working on my walking stick that I hope to have finished soon. It has a brass tip with an optional rubber boot. In addition the tip screws on, so I can change it if I need to. I will post pics when its done.

[+farrtom]

I cache a little during the winter here in Wyoming. I even started a local bookmark list of winter friendly caches in our area. My definition of winter friendly was if I could find the cache in my work clothes (office attire) with out any special equipment other then a hat and gloves.

My problem is I have found almost all the caches in the near vicinity to home so I am getting out less often.

[+Team Laxson]

 

 

And on another trip snowshoeing/caching in the mountains:

 

This one going for a cache over 13,000 feet:

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

As you can see from many of the photos, in deep snow, snowshoes are the better option over X-C skis.

 

Without a trail to follow, X-C skis sink in deep, fresh snow. You'll wear yourself out before long -- then you have the return trip to think about. In not-so-deep snow, or along a X-C ski trail, skis are fine and actually preferred to snowshoes, it also depends upon the up and down terrain.

[+BlackRose67]

As you can see from many of the photos, in deep snow, snowshoes are the better option over X-C skis.

 

Without a trail to follow, X-C skis sink in deep, fresh snow. You'll wear yourself out before long -- then you have the return trip to think about. In not-so-deep snow, or along a X-C ski trail, skis are fine and actually preferred to snowshoes, it also depends upon the up and down terrain.

And whether a bushwhack may be involved.

 

Having bushwhacked with a pair of 34" snowshoes on, I bet it would be even more fun with XC skis

[+briansnat]

I never did any night or winter geocaching until last year when I went to the Long Lake (NY) Mid-Winter Geocaching Get-Together. Then I went snowmobile caching and did a night cache by snowshoeing. Now I've resolved that any new cache I hide will be winter accessible if at all possible. I also plan to modify a couple of my existing caches to make them winter accessible, and I'm looking to hide some night caches.

 

The Long Lake winter event is a fun one. I don't think they did the Mid-Winter Geo Survival Campout last year though. That was one of my all time favorite events. A few pics from that event. Ya don't see too many 5/4 events.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 27, 2013 by briansnat

[+Crow-T-Robot]

All these great photos...really aren't putting me in the mood for winter caching

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

All these great photos...really aren't putting me in the mood for winter caching

Awwwwww... com'on now!

[7rxc]

All these great photos...really aren't putting me in the mood for winter caching

Awwwwww... com'on now!

Yeah! But they will come around when they realize that WINTER exists in the Tropics as well, but lots warmer.

 

A fact well known by us northern cachers. Even those of us in the southern part of the far north.

Right now I'm spending my free time (limited) watching the US news as that front approaches the North East for Thanksgiving... and pondering the view out the window at what we've had for weeks already.

 

Just wish there were some new caches that were winter friendly instead of micros under logs under feet of snow.

 

Doug 7rxc

[+Ringrat]

 

Just wish there were some new caches that were winter friendly instead of micros under logs under feet of snow.

 

Doug 7rxc

 

Me too Doug, I'm trying to fill in my calendar grid! *hint, hint*

[+Ma & Pa]

Most of the caches here in New Brunswick are winter friendly so that cachers are not disappointed when they snowshoe to cache series on trails. We do a lot of caching in winter. If the snow is late arriving, the cold weather freezes a lot of roads and trails which are maybe too swampy in warm weather

 

This March, Ma and I will be hosting our 8th annual Ice Walk event. Participants can walk (snowshoe) across the ice to one of two different islands, each of which has 27 caches. The cachers usually go in small groups and proceed at different speeds, and therefore return at different times. When the cachers return, they come in for a pot luck meal. The first 6 events were held at our place and we greeted cachers from all over. When we got about 100 people in our small house for the sixth event, we had to move number 7 to a hall.

 

The cachers usually show up in the area for the weekend and go out doing nearby trails in snowshoes.

 

Here is a link to last year's event http://coord.info/GC42NY9

 

Cacher cableguy posted a slideshow of the last one.

 

[cezanne]

All these great photos...really aren't putting me in the mood for winter caching

Awwwwww... com'on now!

Yeah! But they will come around when they realize that WINTER exists in the Tropics as well, but lots warmer.

 

A fact well known by us northern cachers. Even those of us in the southern part of the far north.

 

Sorry, but I cannot follow. Which fact is well known by the northern cachers?

 

Snow and cold temperatures do occur in Winter in the area where I live. While snow looks beautiful on photos, I still do like the Winter season and it

considerably restricts and cuts down my physical activity level. Whether a certain container is findable in the snow is my smallest concern. At the point where I have got there,

I had a nice walk anyway if I selected a suitable cache. However getting there is so much more difficult for me, starting from getting to a reasonable starting point (many are excluded as I do not dare to drive there), finding a place to leave my car (coming by bicycle is even less attractive when there is snow or slush on the roads), coping with the walk/hike and the slippery and much more challenging trail conditions etc.

 

So while I try to force myself to go out for caches in Winter when there is snow as well, it is not really what I fully enjoy and even less when I'm alone.

 

Of course the situation will be different for accomplished sportsmen. My troubles are not really connected to geocaching.

 

Cezanne

[Jayme H]

We got into snowshoeing a few years back and really enjoy our winter caching adventures. We may look into x-country skiing this year and see what caches we can find along these routes too.

 

I love that caching doesn't have to stop when snow blankets the ground. We always take a little thermos of hot cocoa to warm up our bellies after checking out a frozen waterfall or building a cacheman.

 

[+lamoracke]

Personally, am a timid ice/snow driver so the reality is, I'd hate to drive anywhere to go caching in the snow. However, if I was in the snow, the pictures are so much more amazing. I have had bad experiences searching for tiny containers in the snow but as long as its a nice sized container, or up in a tree (not a micro in a stump), http://I bet it could be fun once there.

 

I do have a great cache memory in the snow, I did a webcam in Oregon on a mountain top at an observatory. Was lucky to get that shot as I had no reception up there but luckily I had a friend looking out for me on the webcam.

 

the cache.

http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GCP27C_pine-mountain-observatory-webcam

 

Edited November 28, 2013 by lamoracke

[Mr.Yuck]

Hmm. I do have more winter caching pictures than I thought, although a few of them are retro 2004 or so 1 MP digital camera pics.